Salaries for 911 Operators in California

During the first quarter of 2013, the median statewide 911 operator salary in California was $56,135. Those in the top ten percent earned $77,580, but annual wages were noticeably different between counties. For instance, the highest paying area in California was the San Francisco Bay area where emergency dispatchers earned a median of $78,303.

Public safety dispatchers employed by the City of San Diego are paid on a 5-step plan:

Pay Scale

Dispatcher 1

Dispatcher

Step A

$34140

$37572

Step B

$35916

$39612

Step C

$37608

$41196

Step D

$39300

$43200

Step E

$41160

$45336

San Diego also employs fire dispatchers and police dispatchers, although dispatcher 1 and dispatcher 2 work in all capacities (police, fire, medical, and public works):

Fire Dispatcher

Police Dispatcher

Minimum: $41388

Minimum: $45396

Maximum: $49968

Maximum: $54720

The career outlook for 911 dispatchers in California is much better than national estimates, which are 12% over 10 years. The overall projected growth for the state, according to the California Employment Development Department, is 14.3%. Yet, certain counties in California are seeing a much greater demand: Imperial County (25%), Los Angeles County (17%), San Diego County (15.3%), Santa Barbara County (22.2%), and Sonoma County (18.2%).

Shown in the chart below are emergency dispatch salaries across the state: